Fritz’s high school career started off rocky as she suffered a serious injury during field hockey preseason.

“I swung through a ball and I heard something pop,” Fritz said. “Everyone thought it was my hip. They did a bone scan and it was the left side of my back.”

With that sound, field hockey season was over before it began. Doctors discovered Fritz had a condition called Spondylolysis, which is known as a fracture or crack in a vertebra.

“It was my L5,” Fritz said. “It completely snapped off so I was in a hard shell for 18 months. That was my whole freshman year.”

Fritz had plenty of support from her teammates, coaches and athletic trainer during her lengthy recovery.

“It’s hard but you keep telling them you’ll have three more years,” said Riverside Athletic Trainer Jennifer Van Hee. “You’ll have a really strong career. Don’t let this get you down. You’ll come back from it.”

Fritz started her high school athletic career that winter, lacing up her sneakers for the Rams basketball team her freshman year. She continued to wear the protective shell while morphing into an all-star caliber three-sport athlete during her sophomore and junior years. She’s eventually commit to play basketball at Rutgers-Camden, but 11 months ago, while playing AAU basketball, Fritz heard another horrible pop.

This time, it was her knee.

“When I was sitting in the doctor’s office and he told me I tore my ACL, I thought ‘That’s my senior year’. I tried every possible way. Is there any way I could strengthen myself and wear a brace? (The doctor) looked at me and said ‘no’. That’s when it really hit me. Oh my god, that’s my senior year. This can’t be happening.”

The diagnosis was a year of recovery. According to that prediction, Fritz would receive her diploma before athletic clearance. Her competitive nature took over.

“She had a really good outlook on it,” Van Hee said. “She stayed with her teams. She was around everybody all the time. Being naturally athletic and competitive, every milestone of recovery you set for her in rehab, she wanted to break it.”

Fritz could only watch from the sidelines during field hockey and basketball seasons, although she was able to make a quick appearance on the hardwood on an emotional senior night.

She continued to make contributions off the court, and was even chosen to be captain of the White team at Sports Night, as they faced off against the other half of the school dressed in Maroon.

Fritz then started softball season on the sidelines, but knew her return was getting close.

“Every time I’d go back (to the doctor) he said I wasn’t strong enough,” Fritz said. “And it just pushed me harder and harder to get out here. And finally, I passed and it was a big breakthrough for me.”

Fritz joyfully returned to the diamond and was eased in at first base. Soon after, she collected her 100th career hit. Later that week, she began pitching, and threw a scoreless final inning against Florence, striking out two.

“Just that feeling,” Fritz said. “I struck out two people and it’s like I never left.”

Through Tuesday, the Rams are 9-2 since she returned, and they’ve won eight in a row since Fritz returned to the pitching circle. In 32 innings pitched, Fritz has gone 5-0, allowing six earner runs while striking out 48 (1.31 ERA).

Her 500th career strikeout is right around the corner. She had 486 K’s entering the week.

“It changes the dynamics of what we can do as a team,” Riverside coach Tim Costello said. “The team is really starting to rally and we’re making the right move at the right time.”

Riverside was 12-4 entering the week and is the No. 2 seed in the Central Jersey Group 1 playoffs.

The Rams are young, with four freshmen in the starting lineup. Fritz will be depended on for her leadership — and her smile during those crucial moments.

Brianna has that demeanor, that personality,” Costello said. “She’s confident in her abilities and she’s a great leader. She’s loose with the girls. She gets them relaxed, and just what she brings to the table in terms of always being bubbly.”

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